Finding Seven
by Rowenariel
Summary: Sarah Bradley's mother is kidnapped by none other than her own father, and she must hunt him down if she is to save her mother's life and retrieve what rightfully belongs to her and her mother. With the help of a certain rogue pirate, can she do it?
1. Chapter 1

The glowing orange Caribbean sun surrendered to the moon, descending in the darkening sky. Traces of the night could be seen as the stars began to emerge in the blanket of darkness. Soon, in many homes flickering light appeared, indicating candles had been lit for the evening hours. The lively activity of the streets had diminished as daylight became scarce, and most of the town had retreated to their homes for the night, with the exception of the drunks, strumpets, and beggars. In the bedroom of a particular estate, a young woman, Sarah Bradley, lay on her bed, deeply engrossed in contributing to her daily journal writings. Sarah always wrote in the hour or more before she slept as a way to relax and sort out her thoughts for the day.

Sarah hadn't had the easiest life. Although her family was fairly well off, she was grateful for what she did have and knew not to take anything for granted. A harsh lesson was learned when her elder brother Jonathan had passed away in a storm at sea. He was her only sibling, and the loss was devastating to the Bradley family. Taking the death especially hard was Sarah's father, Nathaniel Bradley. Soon after Jonathan's unexpected death, he was constantly gone from their home, rarely partaking in any family events, and rarely coming home sober.

It was at these moments when Sarah witnessed the worst side of her father; the horror of what he had become after the prolonged drinking. Her mother was then victim to his intoxicated aggression. Then, when Sarah was twelve years old, Nathaniel Bradley left. It had happened without a warning. One morning Sarah and her mother had awoken to find the house quiet and Nathaniel Bradley nowhere to be found. At first, the three of them believed he had simply left to run an errand, but after noticing almost all of his possessions had vanished, they knew otherwise, and were resigned to the truth: He had abandoned his own family.

She found herself, much to her disgust, wondering where he was now and how he spent his days. Feelings of hurt, anger, hatred, and sadness often swirled about in her mind when the subject of her father arose. Nathaniel Bradley, in Sarah's mind, had no right to be called her father any longer.

That was the past, however, and she did not let herself dwell on it, most of the time anyway. Although she occasionally found herself straying to thoughts of her father, she was quick to force them out. Drifting back to present thoughts, Sarah continued writing in her journal, until she felt her eyelids growing heavier and heavier with each word she wrote. Suppressing a yawn, she placed her journal onto her nightstand, rose from her bed, and one by one blew out each candle lighting her room. She climbed into her soft bed and waited for sleep to take her.

Rain was falling and claps of thunder rolled across the ominous skies as Sarah rose from a decent night of rest. She ran a hand through her long, dark brown hair and was in the midst of a long, groggy yawn when she suddenly froze. There was a sound drifting into her bedroom. She hastily climbed out of bed and hurried to the source of the sound. Placing her ear against the closed door, she heard voices, and the distinct crying of what sounded like her mother. One by one, she glided down the stairs, heartbeat quickening with each step. When she finally approached the source of the problem, she gently pushed the door open just enough to peek in and see what the commotion was all about. Her eyes landed on her mother, who was sitting on the sofa, sobbing into her hands. Standing in silence a few feet from her was a tall man clad in a long coat. Pressing her ear tightly against the wood of the door, Sarah listened.


	2. Chapter 2

_Here's the new chapter. Hope you all enjoy it! Thanks for reading:-)_

"I'm terribly sorry, Kate," the man said softly, "but perhaps it'll help to know that he did not suffer." Kate looked up at the man, face streaked with tears.

"I…," she began, but couldn't find the voice to speak any further.

"He requested that I give you this," the man said, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a sheet of parchment, "I believe it is his will." Sarah watched through the crack in the door as her mother unrolled the parchment with trembling hands. Sarah could no longer stand their idly while her mother was in grief, and knocked on the door. Without waiting for permission, she slowly opened the door and stepped into the room.

"Mama, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Sarah asked concernedly, pretending to have just arrived at the door.

"Oh, darling, I'm sorry for waking you," her mother said, gazing at her with reddened eyes.

"Mama, please tell me what the trouble is," Sarah pleaded, her voice laced with worry.

"Your grandfather passed away," she said, teardrops falling from her eyes. Sarah enveloped her in a hug, comforting her as best she could, tears of her own falling from her eyes. She loved her grandfather dearly, and it pained her to see her mother in such grief as well. Realizing that the man was still there, Sarah released herself from their hug and her mother spoke.

"Thank you for coming. It's at least somewhat comforting to know that Papa did not suffer," Kate said to the man Sarah did not recognize. He nodded.

"He was a good man. I'm terribly sorry for your loss. I'm afraid I must be going," he said, offering a sympathetic look to Kate. She nodded, they bid their goodbyes, and in a flash, he was gone and the room fell silent once more.

After an agonizingly long moment of silence, Kate finally spoke, after drying her eyes. As Sarah turned to look at her mother as she was about to speak, she could sense that something was troubling her mother.

"Sarah, when that man brought me the sad news of your grandfather's death, he also brought me this letter. I'm afraid I have not been entirely honest with you for quite some time. I have kept some information from you to protect you, but you deserve to know," she whispered, handing Sarah a scrap of parchment. Confusion swept through her thoughts as she grasped the letter, and began to read.


	3. Chapter 3

_ "Dearest Kitty,_

_ If you are reading this letter, it means I have passed away. I know you are hurting, but you must not grieve for me. My passing is due, seeing as I have spent many long years about the seas. I know you could not accept my actions when you first learned of my choice of piracy, but I do hope you can understand that not all pirates are vile. I have met those who were good men, despite the life they may have chosen. _

_ Now, as you probably assume, I have come to possess much wealth throughout the years and you are my only child, Kitty. Therefore I have no difficulty in bestowing my fortune to you, for you to take care of yourself and my dear granddaughter Sarah. I cannot immediately disclose to you the whereabouts of this wealth, for if this letter was to fall into the wrong hands, all would be lost. I will, however, tell you this much:_

_ The fortune has been divided into seven portions, each of these scattered amongst the Caribbean. I know I seem a bit paranoid, but to have all the years worth of gold lost to the wrong hands would wound me, when I know you could benefit from the financial sustenance. Ever since that bloody fool of a husband of yours left you after Jonathan's death, I have been constantly worried about the two of you. The only way you can access this fortune is to obtain the seven keys which unlock them. The first key lies in your own home. Look deep into your heart, and you shall find it. Remember that I love you and Sarah both very dearly, and be very cautious. Greed drives a man to do terrible things, and your husband has not the mind to fight it. _

_ With unconditional love, as always, and forever,_

_ Captain J. Roberts"_

As Sarah finished reading the letter, her hands slowly dropped to her sides, and her mouth hung open in shock. "Grandfather was a pirate?!" she exclaimed, "how could you keep such an outrageous secret from me, mother?!"

"Sarah, believe me, I thought I was protecting you. I didn't want you to be exposed to the dangerous life of piracy, especially when we received news of your father's…change of heart. Please forgive me, child," Kate pleaded with her daughter, who was staring back at her with fiery betrayal in her eyes. Sarah's reply to the news was to flee up the stairs and slam the bedroom door, rattling the paintings and knocking a delicate glass vase off a nearby table, sending it shattering into a million shards.

A few weeks later, their dinner was abruptly halted by a loud pounding at the front door. There were three consecutive thunderous raps.

"KATE!! OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!" thundered the obnoxious holler for Sarah's mother. The pounding had yet to cease. Sarah, still seated at the dining table, glanced at her mother, who had an expression on her face that made Sarah uneasy. Her mother looked panic-stricken and apprehensive, and her eyes were filled with fear and disbelief. "He knows…" her mother whispered.

"Mother, are you all right?" asked Sarah, apprehensively. She did not reply. Without warning, there was a large crunching thud, and the next thing the two of them knew, Nathaniel Bradley had managed to break the door open. "Nathaniel!" her mother yelped, voice cracking in a slightly fearful tone. She backed away, as if preparing for a blow from his fist.

"Is it true that your old man is dead?" he hissed harshly, an odd tone present in his voice. Either he was drunk or angry, or both. Kate did not know how to respond. She knew why he was here already, and was hoping that she was wrong, but his conduct and eyes spoke the truth. His greed had undoubtedly led him here. He came for the wealth, as always. It consumed him these days.

"What? N-No. I don't know what you are talking about, Nathaniel," she answered, with the steadiest voice she could muster. Some of the servants and the maids began to enter the room, wanting to see what the commotion was all about. He pulled out a pistol and cocked it. They all immediately backed out, frightened. "All of you, stay out or I'll blow y' all t' smithereens!" he threatened. Then he glared at Kate forebodingly, and his eyes shifted to the small table in the corner of the room. There on the surface were two letters. Kate saw that he spotted them and moved to block his path, but he shoved her aside, sending her tumbling into a chair, knocking it to the floor. He snatched up the letters and scanned them hastily. His stare darted back to Kate, with a wicked, avaricious glint materializing in his eyes.

"Lying bitch!" he snarled, eyes ablaze with anger. He lunged at her, and just as she thought he was going to strike her, he grunted angrily, forcibly yanked her wrist, and dragged her towards the splintered door. Sarah had witnessed this whole incident, and darted in front of the two, in a desperate attempt to prevent their departure. It worked to no avail, as he simply flung her aside, her body slamming into the wall and her head hitting the corner of a table. She watched on while her consciousness began to slip away, as her father hauled her mother out the front door, and into the shadows of the enveloping darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

When Sarah arose from her unconsciousness, some hours had passed. She found herself in her bed, with a few of the maids standing over her. "Oh, she is awake!" one of them cried, relieved. Sarah's head throbbed, and her shoulder ached. Then the earlier hours of the day came rushing back to her in a torrent of dreadful recollections. But one question was fixated in her mind.

"Where is my mother?" she cried, although something told her she already knew the answer.

"I'm so sorry. Your father took her. We sent Adam and Thomas after him but…they were not very successful," one of the maids responded, emotion rising in her throat. Sarah swallowed fearfully. "Your father shot Adam dead and Thomas was badly injured. There was no stopping that man I'm afraid."

"Christ… Does anyone know where he has taken her?" she choked out, her throat tightening and tears welling in her eyes. One maid nodded.

"We heard him on his way out. He said he was taking her to the _Crepúsculo_," the maid said in a gentle tone. Sarah absorbed the information. She had no idea where to begin in finding her mother. Plus, as if that wasn't the worst thought already in her head, another horrifying one materialized: What if he kills her? Nathaniel Bradley was an unpredictable man. One minute he could be the sweetest man, but that was usually a deceiving scheme of his. He would appear sweet, but deep inside Sarah knew he was everything but sweet. He was a deceiving, avaricious, bastard of a man. When she was younger, before he had left her and her mother, Sarah had witnessed him slay a man right before her eyes, over some rubbish about a sword order.

That incident originally began as a clear-cut argument over possession of a sword, but it had subsequently escalated into a fistfight. Nathaniel had thrown the first blow, and before Sarah knew it, he had snatched the sword into his hands and slit the man's throat before she could count to five. He hadn't known she was entering the room at the time, and even when he finally spotted her, he did not care. It was a moment Sarah wanted to truly forget, but she knew that for as long as she was to walk the Earth, her mind would never be cleansed of the dreadful memory of seeing her father murder an innocent man. The worst thing about it was that he had brushed her off as if a young child was supposed to easily forget seeing a man's blood spilled.

But even then, Sarah had not suspected his involvement in piracy. As much as she had detested him and his actions, the thought of him being a pirate had never even crossed her mind. Now it was coming down on her like a heavy boulder. The past had come crashing down on her now, but she knew she could not break down. She had to take action if she wanted to put a stop to her father's doings.

"Miss?" a voice came, "Miss, are you all right?" Sarah was shaken from her thoughts as she realized the maids were staring at her.

"Oh! Oh, I'm terribly sorry! I guess I became a little dazed. I'm sorry, what were you saying?" Sarah apologized, her cheeks turning a light shade of crimson.

"It's all right, dear. Perhaps you should rest for a while. You've had a frightful d-."

"No!" Sarah burst, cutting off the maid, "I cannot! I cannot just sit about while my mother could be dead somewhere at the bottom of the bloody ocean!"

The maid looked a bit taken aback at Sarah's outburst. It was blatant that she had not expected such clamor. There were several minutes of silence, and then Sarah rose off the bed quickly, soon wishing she had gone about it in a slower manner. Spots danced in her vision as dizziness swam through her mind, and for a moment, she thought she was going to black out once more. When she finally felt tolerable, she hurried up the stairs to the bedrooms. Sarah had an idea.

As she neared her destination, candle in hand, she grew more hesitant. She promised herself she would never go back into this room, and now she was less than three feet from the door. She closed her eyes for a moment, and silently asked herself whether she truly could enter it. After a short instant of uncertainty, she took a deep breath and slowly turned the golden knob of the door.

As she entered the room, chills snaked their way up her neck. She felt a presence in the room, and began to regret entering. She continued on, however, because the image of her mother came to mind and she knew she must carry on for her mother's sake. Carefully, Sarah took a small wooden stick and placed it in the tip of the flame of the candle. She then reached up along the wall and lit the candles in the candleholder on the wall. Slowly, the room began to brighten. Sarah's heart was racing as she glanced around in the room she had not expected to enter ever again. Her eyes traveled to the bed. She walked over to its side and placed her hand on the post. A tear streamed down her cheek as she became overwhelmed with emotion. No one had set foot in her brother's room since he had passed. Each time her mother tried to go in, she would come hurrying back out, plagued by grief. Her family decided one way they would all be able to bear living after his unexpected death was to keep away from saddening things which resurfaced memories of him, such as the very place he dwelled. It hurt too much to see his things. It all was rushing back to Sarah as she stroked the oak of the bedpost with her hand. She released it and moved to his dresser. On top were old papers of his and then she spotted a small, worn book. She lifted it off the dresser and blew on it, scattering the layer of dust from the book. She opened it to find that it was his journal. Her heart skipped a beat and she immediately shut it, as if afraid he would walk in at any moment and catch her reading it. She set it back down onto the dresser and drifted towards the reason for her entering this room. Sarah neared his closet. She paused to rest for a moment, as she again felt an overwhelming sense of sadness in seeing Jonathan's possessions.

"Oh, Jonathan…why did you have to leave us? I miss you terribly. Mama does too, I know," she whispered. Slowly, she opened the closet. As the doors opened, they revealed much of his wardrobe. Tears fell down her cheeks as she ran her hand over the fabric of the shirts and pants. Suddenly Sarah screamed as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She spun around and came face to face with another maid, and her good friend, Amelia.

"Amelia! Are you trying to scare me to death! It nearly worked!" Sarah cried, trying to slow her overly rapid heart rate.

"I'm sorry Miss Sarah, I meant no harm. I was simply checking to see why the door to this room was ajar. I did not intend to startle you."

"It's all right, Amelia. I did not mean to be harsh, I'm just a mess from all this," Sarah said, wiping the tear streaks off of her cheeks.

"Miss, I do not intend to pry, but why are you in your brother's bedroom? You and your mother avoided it for quite some time," Amelia inquired, studying Sarah's expression. Sarah hesitated to respond.

"Well…I…I'm not sure if I should speak of this matter to anyone. I do trust you, Amelia, it's just that this is very important, and even if I disclose this to anyone it could spread and I may be in danger," Sarah explained, hoping Amelia would take the hint. Instead, she looked rather disheartened.

"Oh, Amelia, please, I _do _trust you. It is others that I fear will bring me harm. If I tell you, you must swear to me that no one shall ever hear of this except for you and me. Do we have an accord?" Sarah asked imperatively. Amelia nodded. Sarah stepped into the hall for a minute and glanced in both directions, scanning the hall for others. When she saw that no one was around, she reentered Jonathan's room and shut the door softly behind her.

"I am going after my father. My mother's life is at stake, as well as my family's fortune. If my father were to get his vile hands on my mother's fortune, it would kill me. My father does not deserve that kind of wealth, my mother does. My father must be stopped."

"But Miss Sarah, how will you ever find your father? He must be worlds away by now! It's been hours since he left with your mother and it's nearly impossible to see anything in the night!" Amelia rationalized.

"Nothing is ever impossible. I cannot just wait around here and do nothing while my mother is in grave danger! I will not let her die! I will find her somehow. Someone must have seen my father's ship! I have to find her. The last thing I wish to know is that my father has gotten his filthy hands on what is rightfully my mother's! He would do nothing but horrendous things with money that is not his!" Sarah exclaimed, upset with the fact that Amelia was discouraging her efforts.

"I'm sorry. But how will you follow him?"

"Mother always kept a small box of coins underneath her bed. I'll borrow some. I will need it for food and shelter eventually. I'm sure Mother won't mind." Sarah elaborated. She grabbed some of Jonathan's clothes from the closet shelves. Amelia looked at Sarah with a befuddled expression.

"Well I can't wander the streets in a fancy dress, Amelia. Wicked, drunken scoundrels prey on women who travel unaccompanied. I shall go, but I will not appear a woman. I will be much safer that way. I cannot even imagine what they would do to me if I gallivanted about in a fancy gown." Amelia nodded in understanding.

Sarah sifted through the clothing. She was not sure how to exactly hide the fact that she was a woman. She was a bit worried she might not be able to pass as masculine, since she was not significantly tall. She was taller than most women of the time, however. After some time sorting through the various articles of clothing, she selected a beige, long-sleeved shirt. The sleeves were a bit baggier, which was what she desired in order to better disguise her feminine form. She then came to a pair of grey pants. "This will have to do," Sarah stated as she realized that all she could manage to find were grey pants.

She opened one of Jonathan's dresser drawers and looked through them, finally coming upon items she decided would satisfy her. They were a red sash and a midnight blue bandana. After dressing herself in the clothing, she looked at herself in the mirror. "I suppose this will simply have to do, seeing as I have no choice if I want to leave as soon as possible," Sarah said, releasing a large sigh of distress. She again stared at herself in the mirror and silently prayed she could pass as a male. Sarah's delicate features would be difficult to conceal. She shook her head and cleared her mind. There was no turning back now. She must carry on. Sarah would not give in to her father.

After she was back in her own clothing, Sarah gathered her brother's clothing and brought it to her bedroom. After setting them onto her bed, she went to her dresser and searched through her drawers, finally coming to what she needed. It was a small cloth handbag. Luckily for Sarah, it did not resemble a woman's purse, but rather a generic bag. She packed some of her important possessions into it, and tossed it gently to the floor. Sighing, she flopped back onto the bed, and closed her eyes to take a moment to settle her thoughts.


	5. Chapter 5

A moment to settle her thoughts soon turned into a several-hour-long nap for Sarah. She awoke, and when she realized she fell asleep, she jerked upright. She ran to the window and flung the curtains open to find that it was now nearing sunrise. Sarah felt her stomach lurch as the stress of the situation washed over her. Tears threatened to fall, but Sarah managed to calm herself. She hastily removed her dress and slipped on Jonathan's shirt and pants. After making sure nothing could be seen through the shirt, she proceeded to tie a sash around her waist, to better keep the oversized pants from tumbling to the ground. That was the last thing she wanted to happen. She dug out an old sword Jonathan used to use to practice fencing, and slid it through a loop in her sash. Then she took her long, dark brown hair and carefully tucked it away tightly under one of Jonathan's hats.

She said a hurried goodbye to her maids, begged them to keep their silence on the matter, and set out on her quest. It was coming to the early hours of dawn, the sun had not risen, but the sky was very dimly beginning to brighten. She needed to find a small crew, and fast. Not knowing where exactly this crew could be found, she started with the closest destination, which happened to be the old tavern down the road. So far, she had not been discovered, which gave her a small amount of relief.

Upon entrance, the tavern reeked of alcohol and other foul odors. There were drunks all around, and in the laps of many men sat what likely were prostitutes. Ella immediately regretted entering, but forced herself to continue on. She composed herself and approached a small group of men situated in the corner of the tavern.

"'Ello, mates. I am…Gabriel. Anyone be interested in joinin' me crew?" Sarah said in the deepest voice she could muster. Several men roared with laughter.

"Why would we want t' join yer crew, join a mere boy? What's in it fer us?" one of them replied, taking a swig from his mug. Sarah inwardly released a sigh of relief at hearing the man call her "boy". Her disguise was working, at least at the moment.

Sarah reached into her bag, pulled her hand out, and revealed several gold coins. She had brought a good amount of coinage with her, specifically for this reason. The men hollered in approval.

"So, what d' ye say? Do we have an accord?" Sarah inquired, glancing at each man.

"…Aye!" they announced after a moment of deliberation. She led the men out of the tavern and into an alley. After several confused glances around the place, one of the men asked,

"Hey, aren't we goin' t' yer ship, lad?"

"That be why I need yer help. Me ship was stolen from me grasp and destroyed, and I need yer help t' get a new one…er…right now. We find one now, and set sail by sunrise." The men shouted in anger at this news, but Sarah quickly smothered the flame of their rage by adding, "If ye help me get a new one in the next few hours, I'll give ye a third o' me plunder t' divide amongst yourselves." They became silent and nodded in agreement, but still grumbled a bit.

They arrived at the dock, and were disappointed to find only a few damaged ships waiting for repairs. They were about to give up, when Sarah spotted a ship docked partly behind the distant cliffs. Sarah and her new crew agreed to commandeer it, not knowing that the ship they had selected was the notorious _Black Pearl. _

"Stroke! Stroke! Come on y' lazy dogs! Ye row like women!" Sarah retorted, trying her best to act like a male. They were not making very good progress. The sky was beginning to lighten slightly, and Sarah knew they were going to have to hurry if they wanted cover of darkness. When they finally reached the _Pearl, _Sarah found a ladder on the back of the ship. Slowly, one foot after the other, she climbed until she reached the top. Peeking over the top, she glanced around, scanning the deck for crew members. When none were to be found, she quietly flung herself over the side and onto the deck. After motioning for her men to follow quietly, she placed her hand on the butt of her sword. Just when the last member of the crew stepped onto the deck, there was a shout from the opposite end of the deck.

"CAPTAIN, CAPTAIN!" a voice shouted. A gunshot was heard, and Sarah watched as the man dropped to the ground, hit by a bullet. Suddenly, Sarah heard the sound of rumbling footsteps as several men came charging at her and her makeshift crew. Her heart leapt into her throat as she saw a blade coming at her. Quickly ducking, she avoided the strike, and yanked the sword from her sash. Fighting had erupted, and the sound of metal clanking against metal rang throughout the air. Bullets whizzed through the air, narrowly missing Sarah's limbs, and there were several shouts of pain surfacing from the lips of the men. As Sarah tried to ward off the attackers, she caught glimpses of several of her crew members lying on the ground, blood seeping through the material of their clothing. The sight of injury and death struck a nerve in Sarah. She wanted to throw up, and wanted to run away at the same time. Then the image of her mother flashed through her mind, and she knew she could not give up. However it was very hard not to give up when Sarah realized that she was the last member of her group standing. Her crew had been annihilated within a span of minutes. She knew they weren't that reliable, but she had hoped they'd at least be able to help her get a ship. Now she was alone, surrounded by several angry men. Suddenly, she heard a voice from behind several of the men say "All right ye dogs, that'll be enough. I want t' finish this one by me onesy, savvy?"

As they backed away grumbling, a man emerged, sword pointed in Sarah's direction. He was a tall man, clad in a long brown coat, a worn white shirt, grey pants, and knee-high brown boots. His hair was in several dreadlocks, decorated with an assortment of various beads and trinkets, and was held back by a red bandana, which rested underneath a worn, tri-cornered hat. His beard had been braided into two locks, each ending with a few colored beads and trinkets. His intense, chocolate brown eyes had been surrounded by kohl, and she noticed that he had several gold teeth, which gleamed in the increasing light. His eyes seemed to draw her to him, and she had to force several dazed thoughts from her mind in order to keep her composure. He sauntered closer to her, nearly prodding her with the tip of his sword.

"What business 'ave ye being on me ship, mate?" the man asked, a serious, somewhat angry expression on his face. Sarah was at a loss for words. She was feeling a bit intimidated by his shadowy glare. "Answer, man!" he growled demandingly.

When Sarah gave no response, he inched closer. To Sarah's relief he was still oblivious to the fact that she was a woman.

"What's your name?" he questioned, words slurring and eyes narrowing.

"I could ask you the same question," Sarah retorted. He grunted in disapproval of her answer.

"Ye don't know who I am, lad?" he asked, pausing for drama. He then continued, "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, and ye be standing on me pride and joy, the _Black Pearl_. An' I don't like what ye were up to. Savvy?" He poked Sarah with the tip of his sword. He grinned as he saw the look of surprise and horror on Sarah's face. _'It's the man Mother was talking about! Jack Sparrow!' _Not knowing what to do next, she did the first thing that came to her mind and sliced at Jack.

"That's not very nice, mate. Ye will pay for tryin' to steal me _Pearl._" Sword struck sword as they dueled. For one of the only times Sarah has used a sword, she managed fairly well. She had been taught a bit of fencing by Jonathan, but she was definitely not an expert. They shifted back and forth across the deck as they battled, neither of them wanting to lose. Sarah cornered him into an awkward position along the railing of the ship, and with one swift motion, knocked Jack right off his feet and onto his back. Sarah stood over Jack, sword pointed to his throat. He was a bit startled at the sudden situation, but still held a calm expression.

He grinned sarcastically and for a moment there was no movement between the two. That was until Jack swiftly slid his foot across, knocking Sarah off her feet just as she had done to him. She landed on the deck with a thud and the wind was knocked out of her, temporarily dazing her. She shook her head to dull the dizziness, looked up at Jack, and was about to throw a sarcastic grin back at him when she noticed the expression he was displaying. It was almost an imperceptible look: a mixture of bewilderment, astonishment, and anger all in one. She was confused herself as to why he exhibited such a display of surprise, but she soon realized exactly why when she saw the problem.

There was her hat, lying a few feet away on the deck, and several tufts of her rich brown hair had tumbled across her face, dancing in the breeze.


	6. Chapter 6

There was her hat, lying a few feet away on the deck, and several tufts of her rich brown hair had tumbled across her face, dancing in the breeze. Now, in the eyes of several strangers, Sarah's identity had been revealed. A feeling of panic swept through her when she realized the danger she was now going to face with her gender revealed to this stranger and his crew. She leapt to her feet and tried to run away from him but he cornered her and pressed her up against a wall. Normally Jack would have been thrilled that a woman was in his presence, but he was a bit angered by the fact that she had tried to steal his _Pearl _**and **deceived him. Jack Sparrow was not the man to give in to defeat.

"Have ye lost your mind, lass? Ye think ye can take a ship from Captain Jack Sparrow, do ye?" he said.

"I…I didn't know it was you!" Sarah said, surprising herself with the amount of stability in her voice. She thought for sure she would have cracked by now. He grabbed her wrist, pushed her into his quarters and locked the door, trapping her inside his cabin. She was to be dealt with later. He locked the door. Sliding his cutlass into its sheath on his waist, he walked away, drowning out the loud rattling of the doorknob and the shouts emanating from his quarters.

About an hour after Jack had locked her in his cabin, Sarah grew extremely bored. Her eyes scanned the room, searching for something to occupy herself with. After several minutes of searching, her eyes fell upon a bookshelf in the corner, filled with several books and papers. She paused momentarily to listen for anyone approaching. When she was sure the coast was clear, she went over to the bookcase and scanned the titles of the books. After finding one of interest, she pulled it out from its place and opened it. It intrigued her, with its mysterious maps and illustrations. Just when she became engrossed in the writings, she heard a key unlocking the door.

Quickly putting the books away, she attempted to appear innocent to his eyes as he entered the room. "Hello, love," he drawled with a sarcastic tone. He sauntered his way over to her.

"Now, what shall I do with ye? Shall it be the brig? Or perhaps I shall have ye spend a night with me crew? I'm sure they would love to have ye as their guest," he drawled, smirking at her disgusted expression.

"First, what be your name, lass? I think it be fair that I know the name of the lass who tried to commandeer me ship, savvy?" Jack reasoned. She turned her head away in defiance.

"I do not give my name to strangers."

"Well, then I guess it'll be the brig for ye, since ye are disregarding the captain's orders," said Jack, "but it be a shame a lass as…beautiful as you …be locked away in a dark, dirty cell," Jack whispered seductively, tracing the outline of her jaw with his hand. The next thing he knew, he felt her hand burn across his face as she slapped him.

"Let this be known, Jack Sparrow, that I am no whore, and I shall not be treated as if I were one," she spat angrily. She was not about to tolerate this kind of treatment from a man. It reminded her too much of how her father treated her mother when she was a young girl.

"…Fine," Jack said in an irritated fashion. _'She'll warm up to me,'_ he thought. "I guess ye won't be leaving me quarters then. Unless ye really want t' become acquainted with me crew."

"If you assume you can frighten me then you are very wrong. _Jack,_" she said, using his first name purposely to agitate him.

"That's _captain_. _Captain _Jack," he corrected in a gruff manner. Then he turned and left the room, locking the door behind him. As he walked away he heard the knob rattling, followed by her shouts.

"This is absurd! I am not some animal that should be locked away!" came her shout. He simply grinned and continued on his way to the helm.

After giving orders to prepare the _Pearl _for departure from its anchorage, he took his place at the helm of the _Pearl. _The sun had risen and it was a fairly clear morning. There was a small amount of puffy cumulus clouds, but other than that it was crystal clear. As Jack had planned, he and his crew were to set sail for Tortuga. He needed to make a stop and that was his favorite stopping place, for many reasons. Jack stared at the horizon as the _Pearl _slowly began to glide across the shimmering water. He was becoming lost in a daze when he heard a familiar voice call up to him from the deck.

"Captain, there be a bit o' a problem with 'at woman. Crew says they been hearin' things breakin' in yer quarters," Joshamee Gibbs explained. Jack's expression shifted from indifference to annoyance. He huffed past Gibbs in the direction of his cabin. As he approached the door, he put his ear up against it, only to hear nothing. Right as he was about to remove his ear from the door, there was a loud shattering noise. He unlocked the door and hurled it open. As he opened it he found her sitting on his bed, knees hugged to her chest. There was a bottle in her hand and several shards of others all over the floor. Jack was a bit startled by the broken bottles.

"ME RUM!! What 'ave ye done t' me rum?!" he shouted in a panicked voice, his eyes wide in horror as if a giant chunk had been blown off his precious _Pearl._ She did not answer. Her face was hidden by her arms. Slowly, she let the bottle slide out of her hand and heard it shatter on the floor. There was nothing spoken for several minutes. Jack quelled his anger quickly, and cautiously made his way over to her. He stood right next to her, but she still made no movement. Jack was getting angrier now, partially because several of his rum bottles had been smashed to pieces, and partially because he was not getting any attention he desired from the woman less than two feet away. He reached over and nudged her shoulder, bracing himself for another slap. Slowly, she lifted her head and turned to meet his eyes. Jack was about to start grumbling at her about touching his effects when he stopped himself in his path. He studied her face as tears gradually trickled from her eyes. Their eyes were locked, and Jack found himself unable to tear his eyes away from hers. Part of Jack really wanted to reprimand her for making a mess of his precious rum bottles, but something inside of him would not allow him to do so. Even though he was a pirate and was still angry at her for what she had tried to do, he could not stop from feeling a very slight pang of sympathy for the young woman in his presence.

"Err…why the bloody hell are ye crying?" Jack inquired, unsure of exactly how he should approach the situation. She said nothing, and turned her face away from his own, her teary, distant gaze focusing on the window and the waves that lapped beyond them. Truthfully, she didn't like him seeing her crying, and she didn't mean to, but she just couldn't hold it in. Jack grunted softly, a bit irritated with her stubbornness, but relented and stepped away, giving her space. He meandered his way over to his desk and sat down in his chair. After swinging his feet up and crossing his legs at the ankles, he continued to watch her, waiting for some sort of response. He fidgeted with a rum bottle as the silence continued. The tension in the room was high, and Jack could not take anymore of the silence.

"All right, all right, out with it, woman. Tell me what's troublin' ye," Jack declared. She wiped her eyes with her fingertips and met his gaze.

"Why do _you_ care? You wouldn't help me anyway. Unless you've forgotten that I tried to steal your ship like a bloody fool," she said, her voice cracking between a high and low pitch. Jack furrowed his brow in confusion.

"What are ye talking about? Help you with what?"

Sarah paused, hesitating to define her problem to a pirate she hardly knew, and instantly regretting she had let so much escape from her. He was still a stranger and she still did not trust him entirely. Yet there was something about his eyes and his demeanor that gave her an assurance that he would not cause her any injury, in spite of his threats. There was the slightest hint of compassion and understanding present in his rich brown eyes as he walked over to her side and spoke.

"You don't have t' be afraid of me, lass. I won't hurt you, you have my word. As long as ye don't try t' commandeer me _Pearl_ again. Then we'll have a problem. Savvy?" Her tears had since stopped, and she spoke in a relatively level voice.

"I apologize for trying to steal your ship. I'm going after my father. He kidnapped my mother and I must go after her. I can't let her die at the hands of that bastard. And I thought if I did not make haste going after him, the chances of me getting her alive would be significantly reduced. I know commandeering a ship was wrong but I did not know what else to do. This ship was the closest one and I had no time to lose."

"I may perhaps be able to forgive ye, lass. As long as you never try the likes of that again on Captain Jack here. And I'm sorry t' hear that about your mother. Why would yer father kidnap her?" Jack asked, his curiosity overwhelming his mind at this point.

"My father is," she began, but paused momentarily to study him for a moment as if wondering whether she should continue, "Nathaniel Bradley. He is a despicable excuse for a man, and captain of the _Crepúsculo__." _At hearing the name Bradley, Jack's eyes widened ever so slightly.

"So ye are Miss Bradley I would assume?" Jack reasoned. Sarah nodded.

"Yes. My name is Sarah."

"Sarah, 'tis a pretty name for a pretty lass," Jack said raising his hand and placing it on her thigh. When he saw a look of malicious warning materialize on Sarah's face, his hand speedily retreated to its original position at his side. He stood and began to pace back and forth across his cabin, thinking. After a short silence, he spoke once more.

"Well, Sarah. I am willing to help ye with your pursuit. On one condition…" Jack said, a mischievous grin emerging on his face. Sarah did not like the direction this conversation was headed in.

"You have t' sleep with me," he stated. Sarah's mouth dropped open in a look of pure astonishment with the fact that he had the nerve to suggest such a proposal. When he saw the expression of fury bubbling in her features once again, he quickly cleared up the situation.

"Love, I didn't mean like _that_…I meant in me quarters…although… if ye really _want_ to I cannot deny a woman the pleasure of Jack Sparrow," he whispered into her ear seductively. The result he earned from the inappropriate innuendo was another swift slap in the face.

"I may have deserved that," he said as Sarah left the cabin, leaving him to rub his reddening cheek, "but she _will_ warm up to me. No woman can resist the charms of Captain Jack Sparrow."


	7. Chapter 7

_Hey everyone. Here's a little bonus. I felt like adding some more to it while I can. Hope you enjoy and please review! Thanks :)_

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Outside Jack's cabin, Sarah stood along the railing of the _Pearl,_ taking in the fresh, cool scent of the sea waves. The flow of the water put her at ease as she tried to clear her mind of the stress that had been building inside. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander. After that, she investigated the ship and walked around the deck. She did not pry herself from the serenity of the outdoors until it was well into late evening. Sarah made her way back to Jack's quarters and turned the knob to let herself in.

She opened to door and found herself staring at a half-dressed Jack lounging at his desk, with what appeared to be a map in his hands. Sarah immediately looked away, but found it difficult to keep her eyes away from the tan, muscular chest of the pirate captain. She stared, enthralled by the small scars on his body, wondering what each one was from, how he had acquired the permanent marks.

"Can't keep your eyes off o' me goods, can ye darling?" Jack teased, catching her in the act. Sarah's trance was broken when she realized his eyes were now on hers and her gawking had been discovered.

"I…I was merely…shocked at your…obvious lack of propriety, Mr. Sparrow," she retorted. Jack responded with a sarcastic grin. He got up and walked over to her, and stood only a few feet from her. He whispered in her ear:

"As far as I can tell, milady…I'm not the lass sharing a bed with a pirate captain she _just_ met," Jack cleverly retaliated, leaving Sarah completely speechless and out of quirky comebacks. She had lost the battle and huffed in irritation as she sat down on the bed. She resigned herself to running her hand through her long hair, increasingly uneasy with the feeling of his eyes upon her. She tried to steal a glance of him, but she found that when she did, she met his gaze once again.

"Don't look at me that way. You are making me feel so exposed," she said uneasily. She felt as though she were an object being inspected. He grinned suggestively, but abided by her wishes, and took his gaze off of her figure. She directed her eyes to the candles illuminating the room, and soon found herself become very drowsy. Her eyelids eventually grew heavy, and she found herself yawning several times. Jack noticed her tiredness.

"Well it appears milady has grown weary from the day. Perhaps you should rest?" he suggested. Without a syllable of objection, she conceded. What she did not know, however, was that Jack was not ready to let her go to sleep just yet. He went and laid on the bed on the half which was not against the wall and smirked at her. He grinned at her quizzical expression.

"I like this side better," he stated, as if it was something she ought to have already known.

"Very well, but can you at least let me get to my side first?" she said as she looked out the window. When her eyes drifted back to Jack he had the appearance that he was asleep. His eyes were closed and his chest rose and fell slowly. Up. Down. Up. Down.

"That is very amusing, but if you do not mind, I would like to get some sleep and you're an obstruction."

There was still no response from the pirate captain. She moved to his side and waved her hand in front of his expressionless face. When that did not work, she poked his arm, again receiving no response. "I give up. You're impossible, _Jack,_" she sulked. She also realized that he was lying on a slight diagonal, meaning she literally had to crawl over him to get to her half of the bed. _'How convenient for him, this is so unorthodox,' _she thought sarcastically. She was too caught up in her irritation that she didn't realize he was moving his arms. Within a matter of seconds he had pulled her down on top of him. If anyone were to enter the cabin at the precise moment, a very suggestive image would be implemented by the way the two were positioned at the present moment. She had let out a scream of surprise as he did this, and it made him grin inwardly. "Jack Sparrow! Just what do you think you're doing?" she said smacking his chest, her face flushing with fury and embarrassment. He opened his eyes slowly.

"Comfortable, love?" he asked with a suggestive eyebrow wiggle and a wide, cheeky grin. She was about to slap him for the third time, but his quick reflexes caught her wrist this time, seconds before her hand would have reached his cheek. "Now, that's not very nice, love."

"Jack Sparrow, you are by far the most impossible person to be in the same room with! Just what do you think you're doing pulling me on top of you like that?" she fumed.

"Pull you? I don't believe I've done such a thing. Perhaps ye _dreamed _it, aye?" he said, putting a very suggestive, guttural emphasis on "dreamed". Her mouth fell open and just when he thought she was about to continue her ranting, she let out a frustrated sigh and dashed out of the room. This time Jack was the one with the surprised expression. He thought he'd won the battle.

Sarah ran until she was far from Jack's quarters. She hated the fact that she was stuck on a ship and that he would probably find her no matter where she went. Right now, however, she needed space. She did not want to be around all the innuendos and suggestive remarks of Jack. Sarah hated the fact that he thought he could have her that easily. _'Does that man ever stop with his suggestive comments? I've known him for only a short while and he's already tried to lure me into his bed. Although……No. I won't think about that. I can't. I hardly know the man, AND he's a pirate. How would that look if I just leaped into bed with a man, a _pirate _for that matter? Nevertheless, I cannot deny the fact that the man is quite attractive, despite his rather…interesting appearance. Something about those trinkets in his dreadlocks and those mysterious, dark eyes that seemed to beckon one to him…it was easy to see why any woman would sway over him. What am I doing? I cannot think about him like this,' _she rambled on in her mind. Sarah was so deeply in thought that she did not hear or notice a figure come up behind her. She continued her stream of thinking until she suddenly had a very strange feeling that there were eyes upon her. Her feelings were confirmed when she heard the voice that accompanied the eyes watching her.

"A bit difficult t' hide from me on a ship I know like the back of me hand, isn't it Miss Sarah?" She said nothing, but kept her gaze on the churning ocean. After several moments of silence she turned around and stared at him.

"I find it hard to believe that a man cannot keep his mind free of impure thoughts for more than three seconds," she said, never breaking her stringent glare. There was a bemused expression on his face and she saw the corners of his mouth twitch as if he were about to burst out laughing.

"For someone who chides impure thoughts, I can't help but wonder if you do this chiding because _you_ actually have these kinds of thoughts yourself as it were," he teased. She stood there, unmoving for several moments. He watched her as she slowly walked up to him, closing the gap until they were merely inches apart. She looked into his eyes.

"Oh Jack, you are absolutely right. I do think those thoughts. I think them _every_…_single_…_moment_..." she whispered in a low, seductive tone as she moved her lips closer and closer to his, "…in your dreams." Right before their lips met, she turned her head away from his, causing his mouth to come in contact with only her cheek. She walked off, leaving him completely taken aback and inevitably breathless.


	8. Chapter 8

Jack hated the fact that Sarah had outsmarted him and that he had let his senses take over his mind. He liked Sarah, and he could not deny it. Even though she originally tried to steal his ship, he did not care. She had been sincerely sorry for it; she had that soft side yet held a fiery, defiant side as well. He saw something different in her, a rare light that shone bright when she was near. He had interacted with his share of women over the years, but they were always the same dull, dense women who barely had a mind of their own. Sarah was not like them at all. She spoke her mind, did not give in easily, and he couldn't refute the fact that she was beautiful. It wasn't forced like many women he came across. Sarah radiated a genuine, natural beauty, unaided by cosmetics.

Breaking up his thoughts, he turned on his heels and headed back for his quarters, hoping to find her. When he entered, his wish had been granted. She was sitting on his bed combing through her dark brown locks with her fingers. He noticed the use of her fingers and walked over to his desk. He opened a drawer, pulled out an old ivory comb, and approached her with it in his hand. She looked up at him and he held out his hand. Realizing his offer, she accepted and gently removed the comb from his outstretched hand. She took note of the ornate rings arranged on his fingers before his hand retreated to his side. She looked at him with a cautious expression, but thanked him. He nodded and went back to his desk. There was a long period of silence as Jack studied a map and Sarah combed through her hair. After several minutes, the sound of his voice broke the heavy silence.

"Have you any idea where this father o' yours might be headin'?" he inquired. She jumped at the sudden disturbance.

"Oh. Well…I'm not really sure," she confessed, "He could be anywhere. I'm sure he'd try to get to the fortune as quick as possible, providing he actually knows where it is. My mother will have likely kept its location secret from him. I just hope she's not…." Sarah said, wringing her fingers together in anxiety. Just then, as she had turned to hide the tears that were forming, she felt a pair of hands on her shoulders. It wasn't a gesture of force, but one of compassion. She turned her head and came face to face with Jack. They were only inches apart, and Sarah could feel his eyes burning into hers. She felt a strange feeling around him lately, one she hadn't ever felt. Not quite sure of what he might do, she tensed under his clutches. Jack noticed this sudden change and without wasting another moment, gently embraced her. It startled her, but she did not pull out. It felt comforting at the moment. She was beginning to trust Jack, and realized that beneath the tough, rogue exterior was a compassionate, good-hearted man. She felt a sense of safety in his embrace, something comforting. "I want t' help you, Sarah," he whispered into her ear. The warmth of his breath sent a shiver down her spine.

"Thank you, Jack," she whispered into his chest. She looked up into his deep, brown eyes and suddenly felt very aware of just how close they were at the moment. She pulled out of his embrace. The temporary silence was broken by a mild rumbling sound. Sarah put a hand on the culprit of her sound, her stomach, and Jack grinned.

"Why don't I have me crew bring ye something to eat? It seems your stomach has no objections, aye?" Jack said, unable to stifle a chuckle. She smacked him playfully. She watched as he exited the room, leaving her to at least a few moments of her own time. It was a relief to some extent, especially since they had been so close only a few moments ago. It made her a bit uneasy, mostly because she still had a sliver of a doubt that she should give her full trust in Jack. However, the part of her that said to give in was currently winning the battle. _'He seems like a good man,' _she thought.

Before she could become deeply involved in thought, Jack returned with a heap of food; she noticed he brought enough for two. "Invited yourself to dine with me, I see? Why Jack, I didn't know you felt that way about me!" she teased, batting her eyelashes in mock flirting, her low spirits beginning to uplift. He smirked at her as he set the food on the table. She thanked him for supplying the meal and within seconds began to eat. He grinned as she ate ravenously. She didn't know why she had been so hungry. It wasn't like Jack was starving her, after all. She shrugged the thoughts away and continued eating. Jack ate as well, and the meal continued in silence. "Has your father ever been to Tortuga?" Jack inquired, shattering the silence once more.

"Yes, several times in fact. The man practically lived there. Probably for all the bloody prostitutes he thought were better than my mother," she said, her tone dripping with hatred.

"Do you think he'd sail there first?" Jack continued.

"It's possible. What are you suggesting?" she wondered.

"I'm suggesting we go after him. If he's as rotten and predictable as ye draw him out to be, he'll probably be there. We might be able t' catch him before he sets off for the next place. It's worth a shot. Besides, I happen to like Tortuga, in me own opinion. Lovely……scenery…" he trailed off after catching the disgusted glare Sarah displayed when she realized where his words were leading. She had heard things about Tortuga before and figured any place her father loved could not be too wonderful to her. He set their plates aside and was about to ask another question when he heard the call of what sounded like Mr. Gibbs from outside the room.

"Captain, we have a storm brewin'! It looks like we can't outrun it!" Gibbs shouted. Jack swiftly made his way to the door. Realizing he had forgotten about Sarah's presence, he turned around in his place.

"Sorry, love. Me crew needs me. Stay in here. When this storm hits it'll be too dangerous for you to be on deck," he said, not waiting for a response before he closed the door behind him and his footsteps faded away. A storm was coming? How bad was it? What if Jack was in danger? She knew he had likely faced storms dozens of times in his life, but she continued to worry. These thoughts consumed Sarah for almost thirty minutes until it drove her to find out for herself. She knew she should obey Jack's requests, but curiosity was killing her. She needed to know exactly how bad the storm was. Slowly, she slid open the door. Sticking her head out, inch by inch, she saw that the coast was clear, at least for now. She slipped out of the room and saw some rather ominous dark clouds churning in the scant distance. The wind was whipping up, and she could smell the rain in the air as the storm prepared to unleash its fury.

She crept across the deck of the ship, somewhat distant from Jack's cabin, and was startled by an enormous clap of thunder. It was then that rain finally began to fall, beginning slowly at first, but what began as a misty drizzle hastily turned into sheets of pouring rain. Her vision was hindered and she could not make out which way she needed to go. More heavy claps of thunder resonated throughout the sky and she could hear the shouts of the men frantically attempting to keep the Pearl steady, which was very difficult due to the excruciating winds of the storm. Once or twice she was bumped by passing crew members, but she did not request an apology, after all, it was surprising enough she had not ran into anyone herself.

Sarah's balance was becoming unsteady as the ship churned and swayed back and forth in the angry, roaring sea. Sarah stumbled across the slippery, rocking deck, and was again knocked by a passing man, but this time, she could not regain her footing and felt herself topple over the _Pearl_'s railing into the darkened sea, her scream silenced as her body breached the surface of the water.


	9. Chapter 9

**Though I _should_ be studying for some exams right now, I chose to update this story again. Please review:-)**

Much to her great luck, the man she had collided with was Jack. Anger flooded his veins as he realized the person who had slammed into him was actually Sarah and that she had gone against his orders and left his cabin, but he had no time to waste on ill feelings. Jack knew the more he dawdled, the less chance she had of surviving. He dove off the side of the Pearl after her, praying she'd last and he could find her quickly in the surging storm waters. His body sliced through the surface of the dark water, and he searched frantically for a sign of her. It was nigh impossible to see anything in the raging liquid, but he caught a glimpse of something. There she was. She had already sunken quite a way and he feared she might not make it. Jack finally reached her and wrapped his arms around her waist as he fought to get them to the surface of the water. With a giant gasp, he felt his lungs fill with air once again, much to his relief, and splashed his way back to the Pearl, Sarah in his arm.

When they finally made it back to the Pearl, the storm had slowed. The rain was now falling at a steady drizzle as Jack hoisted Sarah up onto the deck of the ship. He laid her flat on her back and placed his ear to her chest in hopes of hearing signs of breathing. His heart quickened when he heard none, and the first thing he thought to do was place his mouth over hers and try to resuscitate her. Although his mind should have been strictly on reviving her, he could not help but notice the softness of her lips as his mouth covered hers. Jack had wanted to kiss her and even though this was not exactly a kiss, he knew he wanted more. However, his mind was snapped back to the seriousness of the situation when he felt her moving underneath him. His mouth left hers as she began coughing and gasping for air, and he felt relief at the sight. Sarah's eyes fluttered as she tried to make out what exactly was transpiring before her. She looked alarmed as she met Jack's gaze, which was now flooded with anxiety, anger, relief, and something more.

"Were ye out of your mind, woman? Ye could have bloody drowned!" Jack reprimanded. A startled look played across Sarah's features.

"I-I'm sorry Jack. I just, I was worried. I didn't want to stay cooped up like an animal in a cage while everyone was out risking their lives fighting the storm," she said as tears began welling in her eyes.

"Oh bloody hell! Don't cry. I'm sorry, alright? But don't_ ever_ do that again," he warned, followed by something mumbled that sounded like "_Will's bloody woman Elizabeth_." She stared at him for a moment, noticing something different about his eyes, but nodded. He helped her back onto her feet and she was surprised when he took off his long brown coat and wrapped it around her shoulders to keep her warm. They walked back to his quarters and he led her inside where he made her lay down. She began to protest but knew better when he shot her a warning look. Jack stepped outside for a moment, and when he saw that the storm had passed and the sky was brightening, decided he'd let the crew handle the ship for the time being. Upon reentrance, Sarah spoke.

"Why did you save me, Jack?" she asked quietly, now sitting up on his bed. He walked over to her and looked her in the eyes.

"I might be a pirate, love, but I wouldn't let a woman drown," he responded, avoiding a more emotional answer. Truth was, he did not really know why he saved her. Of course, he had rescued Elizabeth when she fell into the water at Port Royal, but in all reality, he had no obligation to act in either situation. So why had he done it? Was it because there was something different about this woman? He was jostled from his thoughts when he felt a hand on his arm.

"Jack, are you all right?" he heard her ask, concern flashing in her eyes. He blinked a few times and finally responded, a shiver running along his spine when he realized she had her hand on him.

"Yes, yes I'm fine, I was just…thinking," he said. Not wanting to let his guard down, he quipped, "Wanting to get cozy there, Miss Bradley?" She finally realized she was still clutching his arm, and when she realized what Jack had said, her cheeks flushed a shade of red.

"You're…you're…" she began and then sneezed. Jack chuckled.

"I think ye need to get out of those soaked clothes. Can't have ye catchin' cold and making me whole crew sick, now can we?" Jack suggested with a very suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows.

"Yes and you would love that wouldn't you?" she retorted. When it came to her that underneath the suggestive remark he was actually trying to be a gentleman, she smirked and turned a shade of pink. Jack went over to an old chest in the corner of the room and rummaged through it for a moment. Finally he found what he was looking for. He walked over to her with a dress in his hands. He had stumbled upon many things in his life on the seas and dresses were unusual. It was a dark red dress, with embroidered flowers and a round neckline.

"Ye can wear this if ye want. Or ye don't have to wear anything if you'd prefer that as well, I certainly wouldn't object," Jack proposed with a grin. She shot him a look of warning and his smile immediately faded. "Yes, well…I'll have me crew bring ye some bath water."

Jack stood outside his cabin while Sarah took her bath, his forearms bracing himself against the Pearl's railing. He leaned there thinking for several long minutes until he realized he needed to get back to his duties as captain. He made his way back to the helm and gazed out across the waters and at the horizon. Pulling out a telescope, he could see that they were making good time heading for Tortuga, spotting several tiny specks of light flashing in the far distance. It was barely visible, but he knew they would be there soon. He was hopeful that they would come across her father, but deep inside he felt a great sense of doubt that they would end up that lucky.

Jack waited. And he waited a long time. Finally he got sick of waiting and decided she had had long enough for her bath. He removed himself from the railing outside his quarters, turned the knob, and waltzed inside. What he did not anticipate, though, was stumbling upon a very shocked Sarah, who had just finished drying off and was very insufficiently covered by a towel. With a scream she grabbed the nearest item available to better cover herself as Jack stood like a stone statue, gawking at her. He knew it was only appropriate to divert his gaze, but he found himself entirely incapable of tearing his eyes away.

"JACK!" she squeaked, embarrassed that she was standing there practically on display. He still had yet to move.

"Hello, love," he said, grinning from ear to ear, his gold teeth sparkling in the light.

"Jack! Stop staring at me like that! And if you don't mind I would like to get dressed!"

"Not at all, go right ahead, darling," he drawled coyly, grinning even wider, if possible. She was not enjoying what he thought was great humor, however.

"Jack! I'm serious, please?" He scoffed at her lack of enthusiasm towards his suggestive manner, and sulked out the door muttering under his breath. She walked over to the dress and pulled it on. When she was sure the dress was on correctly, Ella found a mirror on one of the shelves and glanced at herself. "I think I like this color for a dress," she thought out loud.

"I agree, love," drawled a familiar voice. Sarah spun around, startled, and crashed right into Jack. She stumbled backwards and lost her balance, but Jack quickly whipped his arms around her waist and grabbed her before she reached the floor. Their faces were inches apart as his dark, chocolate-brown eyes locked with hers. Her heart thundered in her chest as she stared at Jack, too dumbfounded to move or utter a word of protest. Agonizingly slow, he lowered his face, the gap between them growing smaller and smaller and just as he was about to place his lips upon hers, there was a loud pounding on the cabin door and the shout of Joshamee Gibbs rang through the room, shattering the opportunity. "Cap'n! The storm winds seem t' have given us a quicker trip to Tortuga. We should be there sooner than planned." The break in silence seemed to have snapped Sarah out of her reverie, and she took this as an opportunity to wriggle out of Jack's clutches before he had his way with her.

"I-I think I'll…I'll go out on deck for a while," she stammered, desperate to escape his penetrating gaze. He watched her exit and felt a surge of disappointment, then irritation. He decided he would be having a little talk with Gibbs about bad timing later. After a few moments of thought, Jack left the room and stepped out onto the deck a short time after Sarah had departed. Jack was not a man who accepted unfinished business. There was no denying he wanted that kiss, and Jack Sparrow would not settle for anything less.

While Jack made his way across the ship, Sarah's mind was fluttering with thoughts. Her previous moment with Jack was whirring through her mind as she tried to make sense of what had transpired only moments ago. In his cabin, she had found her mouth only centimeters away from Jack's, and she had become entirely wrapped up in his dark, mysterious eyes. It had frightened her that she had let herself become so easily captivated by Jack. She had only met him, but there was something about Jack that gave her a sense of security. Although he was a pirate, she felt she could trust him.

Coming back to reality, she shook her head to clear her thoughts. They were nearing Tortuga, and possibly her father. As much as she prayed she would find him there with her mother still alive, deep inside she had a terrible feeling she would not have that sort of luck. It would be too simple for them to find her father so soon. Sarah had a feeling it would take much more than one trip to hunt down her father.

Suddenly, footsteps were approaching and stopped right behind her. A hand grasped her wrist, she was twirled around, and Sarah's heart began to beat furiously as she came face to face with Jack. He looked into her eyes for a fleeting moment, and before Sarah could say a word, he placed his hands on the sides of her face, and his lips were upon hers as he kissed her deeply and hungrily. Sarah's first instinct told her to pull herself away and disentangle herself from his grasp, but desire drowned out her conscience and she felt herself soften into his kiss. Her hands drifted up to his neck and she felt his arms wrap themselves around her waist. They continued kissing passionately until Jack's mouth left hers to kiss down along her jawline and to her neck where he planted more soft kisses, sending pleasurable sensations through her. Sarah was entirely wrapped up in his actions until the voice in the back of her mind began screaming at her to stop and she broke herself from his contact, panting and breathless.


End file.
